CPBoyce

We cancelled our May family cruise on the Eurodam on 10 March. The next day we got email and a credit on our AMEX for all the excursions booked. We are still waiting for the actual refund for the cruise itself. We cancelled our September 2020 cruise two weeks ago. Not counting on seeing that money this year.

We're holding on to our reservations on the QM2 for September 2021. Hope springs eternal.

36 minutes ago, TrolleyGirl said:

My sister just got off the Eurodam this week.  She reports movies were played in the main theater and the the screening room on deck 3 does not exist.

 

Okie doke. Thanks!

I saw several recent reviews. Here's one dated 23 March 2019 which mentions it with a pic.

https://cruisemaven.com/holland-america-eurodam-review-alaska-cruise/

I just saw several 2019 reviews and blogs mentioning a new screening room with pictures of a room with black leather recliners. I know this room did not exist in September of 2018, my last cruise on the Eurodam. 

Ah, thanks for answering. So the screening room they just reinstalled will be dismantled again? I really don't think they need a dedicated space. Closing up Lincoln Center so the dining room crowd noise doesn't disturb is something they really need to do.

Recent reviews have mentioned a 40 seat dedicated movie theater aboard the Eurodam. I have sailed on her twice in 2018 and there was no movie theater. What deck did they put it on and what room/lounge was sacrificed?

Okay, it's looks like a good time for me to leave this thread and forum. Happy cruising everyone and a heartfelt thank you to all who kindly offered advice. I assure you (not dissembling at all, promise) that we both were and are considering all options. Again, our choice may not be yours, but we did seek your help honestly.

As I read this thread I have to consider that the OP is pulling everyone's leg. He can't be serious as he claims is an experienced traveler (not cruiser though) and yet is willing to take a chance by flying from Washington State to Rome, by my count going through 9 time zones, with the possibility of delays anywhere along the way to catch a cruise that departs about an hour's drive from the airport. If I'm reading his responses to some very good advice, he has already made up his mind and is just pushing back on the advice.

 

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Have a great cruise!

 

 

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Gosh, I've never been called a liar before on a forum. I am an experienced traveler and it's because I have little experience with the cruise procedures that I thought I'd ask you guys about it. Have you never asked for advice and then decide not to take it for one reason or other? But as it stands, I have not definitively made up my mind, although I still LEAN toward same day. The cruise is a year away. I have time to make adjustments. My husband now is considering earlier arrival, which he brushed off before. Thanks for your good wishes? Celia

I looked at my travel journal. Back in October, we landed in Rome at 7:30 a.m. and were at the port, via a HAL transfer, by around 11:00 a.m. There was a really long line for Rome customs upon arrival, but I don't remember how much time that part of it took. The line moved steadily, but it was long. We did spend more time getting situated with the HAL transfer bus than if we'd used a taxi or other car service.

 

At the port, HAL started boarding people soon after we arrived there, and it went quickly. We were on the ship by noon.

 

Of course, your mileage may vary a lot, but that was our experience in Rome. Traveling with only carry-on luggage would for sure decrease stress levels.

Really good info, thanks. I really should start a travel journal!

I must admit, on some cruises when we arrived the "day of" there were a couple of times we barely made it due to flight delays. (But for FCO, we've always arrived at least a day early. On a couple other trips to Italy, we've had delayed luggage). I always recommend travel insurance in such a case. Global Alert has been good, also insuremytrip has a comparison feature for various other policies. Some credit cards have excellent coverage, too. As someone who has made claims before, just know your rights and backup plans in advance. Once our luggage was delayed due to a missed connection and because of sea days, we went 3 days without our bags. HAL was wonderful to us in that circumstance. We were glad we had insurance to replenish our clothes and other items.

 

As far as checking in, your transportation will drop you off at the check-in area. The times we have embarked in Civitavecchia have gone smoothly (we took the train, but have taken the HAL transfers back to the airport several times with no problems).

 

Happy Sailing!

Thank you! I like using Global Alert myself.

The jet lag part is really not as important as much as you need to be sure you are actually in Italy "with your luggage" prior to your ship sailing. Whether you stay in Rome or at the port is a personal choice but from experience I think you are being penny wise and risking a lovely cruise starting off badly.

 

We went to Sicily from Boston three years ago. Our flight from Boston to JFK was delayed - it was in April and not weather related - just bad luck. We finally got to JFK and of course had missed our connection to Sicily. The best they could do was put us on a flight to Paris - yup Paris - and assured us that our luggage would be waiting for us in Catania Sicily. From Paris we got a flight to Catania and I can still the stricken face of my son-in-law as ALL the luggage was claimed and our luggage was not there. Yup - luggage never made it to Catania. We reported this and was told it would be on the next flight and would be delivered to our villa "very very quickly". We had rented a villa for a week with some relatives. Well very very quickly was three days later. Let me tell you that wearing the same clothes for three days is not fun!! We did go shopping for a few items knowing that our trip insurance would pay for them (which they did) but I am hard to fit and couldn't find a bathing suit. My daughter who is slim and can wear anything ended up buying boys running shorts and wearing them with a t-shirt in the gorgeous infinity pool at the villa. So although we had a wonderful time with our relatives we lost three days of being able to use the pool, hot tub, etc. that came with the villa.

 

Even though we were not trying to time a cruise it sill made for a few annoying days. I would never ever try to time boarding a cruise ship the day we fly in especially in Europe. Goodness there are strikes, political issues, etc. frequently in Italy and for the price of one night hotel it is peace of mind. I just factor that cost into the cost of taking the cruise now.

 

I can't believe you would consider flying in the day you sail - even though you "anticipate" having plenty of time. Just my thoughts. Hope you have a wonderful trip.

Wow, what a nightmare for you! I can see how that would spoil a trip fast. Exactly why in over 45 years of traveling I only go with carry on. Works for me even on four week vacations. (everything goes with everything). I also learned long ago to carry traveler's insurance.

In addition to delay risk, it seems poor economy to let your first day on board be devoted to recovering from overnight flight. Much better to have your days in Rome before the cruise.

First day is a sea day (spa day for me!), so I'll be relaxing onboard in any case. Alas, the days after are set (joining another couple). I was concerned about the timing - Is immigration at FCO usually organized? Is the embarkation process at Civitavecchia a half day process? I know as well as anyone that things can go cattywampus, but that's part of traveling.

For long flights to starting ports we fly in a couple of days in advance. Otherwise you walk on the ship sleep deprived and jet lagged. Not a good way to start an expensive cruise, which is very port intensive.

 

Rome will never be a city we seek to avoid. It is a fantastic city, one of the great ones in the world.

I am soooo looking forward to finally seeing Rome, believe me, but we will be joined by a couple for a few days after the cruise and will really get to see it then instead of just off a 16 hour flight from Seattle! Thank goodness the first day of the cruise is a sea day so it's the spa for me!

I would suggest you be very careful of taxis in Rome. We are very well traveled (I worked for an international airline for 30 years) and Rome was the one place we got ripped off by a taxi. It was not too long after they went on the Euro. We arrived in Rome early a.m., very tired as we came from the West Coast. This taxi (or so he claimed) was very friendly and said "I'll get you to the hotel quickly," I had an idea of what it should have run from researching here and the amount he gave us seemed very high. I wanted to "discuss" it with him but my husband was too tired and said "let's go- I'll just pay him." He did get us to the hotel however he turned on the night meter and overcharged us substantially. He then gave us incorrect change (first time we'd seen the Euro). I would use the boards here to pre-book a reputable company or use the HAL transfer. It didn't ruin our trip as we have learned to "go with the flow" but it sure made me careful on transfers.

Thanks for you advice, Holomuku!

I would arrive the day before.

 

You do not mention what time of year you will be traveling, and whether you have any connecting flights. And if you do have a connection, is it in Europe.

 

Weather and connections are factirs out of your control. Some airports are notorious for connection problems.

 

I hope you have a wonderful cruise. But take the stress of yourself and fly in a day early.

Thanks for weighing in!:) :)

It’s interesting that you are a self confessed newbie to cruiseing yet you appear to be resisting the very advice you sought. Those who have replied collectively have thousands of days at sea, something to think about.

Sorry to ruffle your feathers! I am a cruise newbie, but also an extensive traveler who lived in Europe for 12 years. I have, however, never been to Rome or its airport. My main concern, which I may have expressed badly in my OP, was the organization/process through the port to the ship and through immigration at FCO. In making decisions, I always seek advice, weigh it with my own experience and instincts, then make an informed choice that suits me and that I can live with. The choice may or may not be the choice of others. Thanks for contributing.

This past September we wanted to do just what you are wanting to do, as we'd been to Rome many times and just wanted to get to the ship. What we ended up doing was booking our flights through Holland America, so they "hold the ship" if you are late. We found that with their group buying power, the flights were about what we'd pay anyhow, and we saved money by not having an overnight in Rome. So with a HAL flight and a HAL transfer, which went very smoothly for our morning arrival in Rome, we were at the ship on time and ready to go -- and

with no worries.

 

On the HAL website, you can "manage your booking" and play around with looking for flights. There's an option there for pre- and post-cruise travel arrangements.

 

Hope this helps. Have fun!

It does help, thanks for chiming in with your experience on the other side.

May I suggest that you arrive a day early and stay at a hotel in Civitavecchia for one night pre cruise. We stayed at Hotel San Giorgio and they picked us up at the airport and took us directly to their hotel. Very nice, quaint hotel extremely close to the cruise terminal. They also provided transfers to the ship the next morning. They are permitted to enter the cruise terminal area and dropped us right at the door with our luggage. I would never trust any airline to get me to Europe to start a cruise the day of embarkation. Way too many variables. We would never consider less than two days, but that's just us.

Thanks for the recommendation, Lady Arwen. If we do decide in the end to arrive a day early, this is the way to go.

Thank you all for your feedback. Being an anal personality type, my instinct is always to get there early just in case. For this trip, however, I'm weighing a day's extra expenses against the chance the flights would be screwed up. Since the first day of the cruise next May is a sea day, I'm inclined to gamble and poop out on the ship before the first port.

We are planning to arrive the morning of our trip in October about 7:30 am. I've arranged a HAL transfer from the airport to the cruise port, cost $68 pp. The ship doesn't leave until 6:00 pm. I figured got the time.

Thanks! I hope I can get in that early but since I'm flying from Seattle, if we get in before 10 am I'll be happy.

Driving between FCO and the Port at Civitavecchia takes about 1 hour (we have done it in about 55 min). We do agree that flying-in on an International Flight the day of a cruise is somewhat risky. The problem is that flights do get canceled or delayed. However, if one has a "Plan B" to catch up to a ship in its first port then the risk might be acceptable to most folks.

 

FCO is not my favorite airport. Expect to spend about an hour (or longer) just getting through the airport, immigration, and retrieving your luggage. Getting to the Port best done via vehicle since using the trains involves changing trains (and handling your own luggage). And once you arrive at Civitavecchia's train station (where you might have to haul your own luggage up and down steep steps since there is no elevator) you will need to either use 2 buses to get to the pier or find a taxi (not always easy).

 

From FCO you can simply hire a taxi or pre-book transfers. We recommend pre booking with Romecabs.com and many others like Romeinlimo.com. You can also check with HAL about their own transfers, but we have found that private transfers do not cost much more money and avoid what can be a lengthy wait when using cruise line transfers. Once at the port, embarkation is a relatively painless process.

 

Hank

Thanks, Hank. This puts me more at ease. I had planned on the HAL shuttle but the pre-booked limo sounds like a better choice.

Newbie cruiser here wanting some guidance from you all. We are looking to arrive early morning on embarkation day to avoid an overnight in Rome (we will be spending a few days in Rome at the end of the cruise). Is this practical? Is the embarkation process pretty smooth? How long does it take in Rome?